Automobiles and other motor vehicles continue to evolve to provide vehicles that require less routine maintenance. For example, vehicle coolant systems no longer require annual flushing and replacement of the coolant. Air intake filters have extended life between replacements. Spark plugs are constructed with exotic materials and do not have to be changed for 50,000 to 100,000 miles.
One advantage of the extended maintenance cycle for various components of a vehicle is that less time is required for a vehicle to be in a shop for routine maintenance. For tractor-trailer rigs hauling goods long distance, routine maintenance is costly from the standpoint that revenue is generated by the number of miles driven. Another advantage of the improvements in motor vehicles with reduced maintenance is that the annual maintenance costs for such vehicles continue to decrease, or at least do not rise with the rising cost of goods and services.
Despite advances made in the reduction of routine maintenance, there continues to be a need for systems and methods for motor vehicles which reduce the routine maintenance costs of the vehicles. There is also a need for vehicles which have reduced design constraints.